It has been 40 years since Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell set in motion a series of films that would be iconic on many levels. The Evil Dead gave us the Necronomicon, a less mouthy Ash Williams, and a whole lot of crazy camera work.
Now NECA is celebrating this anniversary with Ultimate Ash, a new action figure that captures exactly how the hero looked in 1981. From the hair parted down the middle to the very young face, this is undoubtedly Ash’s first mingle with the forces of darkness.
We spotted this youthful Ash over at Figures.com. He will be making his debut, reportedly, in early 2022. So look for him on the shelves with the rest of the NECA figures at your local Target after the New Year.
The Evil Dead brought us many of the tropes that were synonymous with Raimi films. First, as mentioned before, there’s the camera work, including the first-person cam of the Evil in the woods along with very Italian crash zooms. The Evil Dead, I thought, was what a Lucio Fulci horror movie would be like if it were intentionally funny.
What are your thoughts on young Ash? Did NECA’s artists nail the look of the budding horror icon? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
[Source: Figures.com]
NECA Brings Us The Ultimate and Original Ash From ‘The Evil Dead’
Mike Mignola’s Gotham By Gaslight Batman Is Now A Black & White Statue
Gotham of the Victorian era was no less crime-riddled than its modern counterpart. The streets are still filled with the dregs of society, but one person, in particular, is preying on the women of the city.
As Mike Mignola’s made him appeared in 1889, Batman is the next statue in the Black & White line from DC Direct. Based on the 1989 Elseworlds comic by Brian Augustyn and Mike Mignola, Gotham By Gaslight showed us whaMike Mignolat the Caped Crusader would have been like in the late 19th Century. Of course, Batman still had gadgets, but are they enough to deal with Jack the Ripper?
The 1/10th scale statue is priced at $124.99 and will ship around April 2022 via Entertainment Earth. We’d previously covered Gotham By Gaslight merchandise earlier this year. These included both Batman and the Joker from Mezco’s One:12 Collective line of figures.
From the pages of the DC one-shot Gotham by Gaslight by Brian Augustyn and Mike Mignola, comes the second design by Mike Mignola in the Batman Black and White resin statue line! Based on the art of Mike Mignola, this 1:10 scale resin statue beautifully captures the Caped Crusader in action.
Gotham by Gaslight was my first encounter with Mike Mignola’s style of artwork. It was my second glimpse into a much darker world of Batman, the first being The Dark Knight Returns. Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there. Once you get hooked on the more brooding comic books, it’s hard to turn back to the world of bright spandex.
I wish more grim comic books from the late ’80s, and early 1990s would get a resurgence. Of course, I’m talking the stuff like the Hellraiser comics, Mr. Monster, and even the extreme things like Faust. Where newer comics bludgeon the reader with social commentary, these older books went about it intriguingly. Oh, I miss those days.
What are your thoughts on the Black & White statues DC has been releasing over the years? Are there any particular versions of Batman you’d like to see represented in the line? Let us know in the comments.
[Source: Entertainment Earth]
J. Scott Campbell’s Alice is Playing a Game of Hearts In Wonderland
J. Scott Campbell made the comic book women of the 1990s just for teens like me. You know what I’m talking about. So please don’t pretend you didn’t cut out pictures of Gen13’s Fairchild from copies of Wizard and tape them all over your room.
Ahem. Anyway, continuing Campbell’s trend of making the most stunning women possible across multiple mediums, his work is again showcased by Sideshow Collectibles with a variant of his Alice in Wonderland statue. This new edition is titled Game of Hearts. Alice will cost $399 and has a release window between April and June 2022.
Essentially, the statue is the same but with an intriguing color swap. Alice is now a brunette and sports a much more Queen of Hearts look. Rather than her goto color being blue, she has traded it in for black and blood red.
This version of Alice also has subtle freckles on her face, which I found pretty cute. The Cheshire Cat, which also acts as the base of the statue, has an updated color scheme. The white and magenta pop a bit more than the previous statue’s blue and violet.
The Alice in Wonderland: Game of Hearts Edition Statue measures 13.5” tall, as Alice sits atop a pink and gray dappled mushroom amid the magical world of Wonderland. She holds various playing cards in her hands, trying to learn the rules that change just as quickly as she learns them! From the swirling base of the figure, the white and pink Cheshire Cat gives its famous toothy grin as it cleverly blends into the whimsical environment, wishing Alice the best of luck in her bout against the Queen of Hearts.
What are your thoughts on Campbell’s artwork? Loving depictions of the female form or overblown objectification? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
[Source: Sideshow]
This 2′ Tall Wolverine Statue Is Looking Pretty Mean, Bub!
Wolverine, the most iconic team member of the X-MEN, is getting his likeness made into a new 24″ tall statue by Premium Collectibles Studio. The from the blue and yellow costume to his indestructible adamantium claws, this Wolverine may be one of the representations of the character in collectible form.
The statue is made from polystone, but it is not stated if the claws are metallic or not. Wolverine can be purchased through Sideshow for $1,155, but it won’t ship out until November 2022 or January 2023.
Inspired by his appearance in the mobile game MARVEL Future Fight, the Wolverine 1:3 Scale Statue measures 24” tall and 19.75” wide as the fan-favorite X-Men hero leaps into battle to defend Xavier’s mansion from attackers, standing on the rubble of one of the destroyed fence columns surrounding the property. This statue is fully sculpted to recreate his Marvel Gamerverse appearance in a three-dimensional collectible format. His cowled portrait captures a ferocious shout as Wolverine bares his fangs. The mutant superhero is detailed with lifelike textures and realistic creasing across his blue, yellow, and black costume over a muscular physique. Additional accents like a weathered brown belt, battle-damaged shoulder armor, his shining silver claws, and hairy arms complete Logan’s signature look.
What struck me as odd was the description stating this is how Logan looks in Future Fight, a mobile game. Being unfamiliar with the game, I’d have just thought this was Wolverine as he appeared in the 1970s and 1990s. But, honestly, how would you know the difference?
I mentioned earlier the claws. Unfortunately, Wolverine’s blades are hit or miss regarding statues, action figures, and models. Sometimes they’re super brittle or way too bendy, leading to them drooping over time. The best kind is those that are made of metal, I’ve found.
The only change I’d made to this thing would be to give him a red belt instead of brown. He’s already sporting bright yellow and blue. So why not go all the way?
Unlike newer renditions of the Canadian mutant, his suit doesn’t have all the rivets, seams, scales, etc. Fortunate, that. For old-school Wolvie fans like myself, this return to a traditional-looking costume is most welcome.
[Source: PCS]
Voice Actor Gakuto Kajiwara Opens Up About Voicing ‘Black Clover’ Hero Asta
Fan-favorite anime ‘Black Clover’ concluded after one-hundred seventy episodes. The fantasy series was based on a manga by Yūki Tabata and follows the human Asta who, despite having no magical abilities, is recruited into the Black Bulls magic knight order.
Voice actor Gakuto Kajiwara performed the character of Asta for the entirety of the show’s run in Japan. He spoke with Crunchyroll about the protagonist and the show’s impact.
“I’ve always liked manga and anime, especially battle manga. When I was in grade school, I read a lot of Shonen Jump and got hooked on Dragon Ball. I would play around impersonating Goku with my voice and started to wonder if I could express myself in various ways using my voice,” he said.
When asked how he got the role, he replied, “I actually auditioned for both Asta and Yuno at first, but the role I got a second audition for was Asta. After the second audition, I got asked to come again, but when I went for my third audition, I practiced too much and lost my voice. I figured I had no chance of getting the role anymore, but that’s when I got the call saying I got the part. That’s how I ended up being Asta.”
Kajiwara continued, “First, if I hadn’t gotten to play Asta, I wouldn’t have been able to meet all of my senpai voice actors or the staff I’ve worked with. Being able to meet all of them has been very important to me. Because of Asta, so many people have gotten to know me as well. Also, I ended up learning more about acting through Asta than any other role.”
Asked about Asta’s heart or soul, he answered, “He ends up pulling the people around him into his life, but in a positive way. His enthusiasm, strong will, and his desire to never give up end up moving the hearts of those around him. Even if no one ever wanted to acknowledge it, people would end up wanting to see him and acknowledge him because of his determination and strong will, and he just kept flipping how people felt about him. I don’t think this just applies in the story. I think as readers of the manga, he gives us the same kind of power. I think just by seeing him, we’re able to find hope and energy in our own daily lives.”
Kajiwara concluded with a message for the fans.
“I’m going to continue to better my understanding of my acting ability and of my roles. I’m going to get stronger and better myself until the time comes when I get to play Asta again,” he said. “I’m applying everything I learned by playing Asta in my other roles, but I’m going to just use everything gained there to become even stronger when I play him again. I will do everything I can to continue to move the hearts of people around the world.”
Ahead of the finale, it was announced that the showrunners were developing a film to conclude the final story-arc.
Funimation Announces English Dub For ‘Hetalia: World Stars’ Anime OVA
‘Hetalia: World Stars’ is a twelve-part anime OVA based on the historical comedy webcomic and manga by Hidekaz Himaruya. The series was directed by Hiroshi Watanabe, written by Kazuyuki Fudeyasu, and produced by Studio Deen. Funimation announced that they had acquired the rights to make an English dub.
“The world comes together! We’re excited to announce that the Hetalia: World Stars English dub is officially on its way to Funimation, and we’ve got your details on cast, crew and when you can watch,” Funimation said on their website. “the first four episodes of the ‘Hetalia: World Stars’ English dub will arrive on Funimation, which means it’s almost time to dive back into this fan-favorite series for more hijinks.”
They continued, “The English voice cast for the series includes Eric Vale (Dragon Ball Super) as America, Patrick Seitz (My Hero Academia) as Germany, Todd Haberkorn (FAIRY TAIL) as Italy, J. Michael Tatum (Ouran High School Host Club) as France and many, many more!”
The anime will also star Steven Kelly as England, Christopher Bevins as Japan, Jerry Jewell as Russia, Austin Tindle as Prussia, Ian Sinclair as Romano, Dave Trosko as Spain, Megan Shipman as Czech, Kieran Flitton as Slovakia, Ivan Jasso as Portugal, Sarah Wiedenheft as Belgium, and Jamie Marchi as the Narrator. Cris George will serve as ADR Director.
You can watch the trailer below:
Here is the synopsis according to My Anime List,
“There are strange people in this world. If it is short, it will disappear for several days, and if it is long, it will disappear for hundreds of years. The name and personality changed, and suddenly appeared by someone’s unexpected idea. Even though he is the most weird, he is loosely accepted and used by his boss. This is the story of such strange people.”
2D Animated Film Koati in Theaters October 15th
Today, you will have the opportunity to watch a 2D animated movie in theaters called Koati. This animated comedy film features a family of exotic creatures from the Latin American rainforests. Koati is an animated film starring three unlikely heroes: Nachi, a free-spirited coati; Xochi, a fearless monarch butterfly; and Pako, a hyperactive glass frog who embark on an exciting journey to prevent a wicked coral snake named Zaina from destroying their land of Xo.
English trailer:
The movie is director Rodrigo Perez-Castro’s debut feature film, with other credits including being a storyboard artist for such films as Tarzan 2: The Legend Begins, Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas, The Book of Life, Ferdinand, and The Fox and the Hound 2. Executive producers include Sofia Vergara and Marc Anthony.
Koati production crews include renowned Hispanic producers, musicians, actors, comedians and influencers who team up to celebrate the magical realism of the Latin American jungles, the Amazonian rain forest, the Ancient Mayan low lands, and the unique creatures that call it home.
Spanish trailer:
The Koati website makes it a point to mention that these creators, and everyone involved with the making of this movie, have joined together for the first time to step outside of Hollywood to create an animated movie that celebrates Latino culture, nature, music and hope.
In part of creating Koati, includes +5,000 hand-made drawings and +2,000 hand painted backgrounds. Koati partnered in 2021 with WWF (World Wide Fund For Nature) in a united effort to develop and create a comprehensive and powerful way to educate and promote more sustainable lifestyles. Koati’s message is that “together we can save nature, and in turn we will discover that nature will save us“.
Some behind the scenes look into the creation of Koati:
A few personal notes from the Director:
You will be able to watch Koati in select theaters today with the option to watch with English audio, or in Spanish audio with English subtitles. Click on Fandango to see movie show listings near you.
What do you think? Are you excited to see an original 2D animated film made outside of Hollywood?
Netflix Thriller ‘You’ Renewed For A Fourth Season
Ahead of the release of its third season, Netflix announced that the psychological thriller ‘You’ is getting renewed for a fourth season, though no casting or release date has been confirmed.
Based on a novel series by Caroline Kepnes, the show follows Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg, a stalker and serial killer who obsesses over the objects of his affection. This leads to violent and deadly consequences for the women in his life who suffer from his delusions. The show originally premiered on the Lifetime Network before being picked up by Netflix for its second season. Season three sees Joe develop an infatuation with a health guru named Love Quinn, played by Victoria Pedretti.
With season three premiering in October 2021, Netflix describes the plot as “Joe and Love, now married and raising their baby, have moved to the balmy Northern California enclave of Madre Linda, where they’re surrounded by privileged tech entrepreneurs, judgmental mommy bloggers, and Insta-famous biohackers. Joe is committed to his new role as a husband and dad but fears Love’s lethal impulsiveness. And then there’s his heart. Could the woman he’s been searching for all this time live right next door? Breaking out of a cage in a basement is one thing. But the prison of a picture-perfect marriage to a woman who’s wise to your tricks? Well, that’ll prove a much more complicated escape.”
You can watch the trailer for season three below:
The show also stars Elizabeth Lail, Luca Padovan, Zach Cherry, Shay Mitchell, Ambyr Childers, James Scully, Jenna Ortega, and Carmela Zumbado.
Showrunner Sera Gamble said in a statement, “Reading Caroline’s novel, Greg and I were instantly obsessed with Joe Goldberg and his twisted world view. And it’s been thrilling to watch Penn bring Joe to creepy yet compelling life. We’re deeply grateful that Netflix has shown You such monumental support, and that people around the world have enjoyed watching Joe really get it all very wrong over the past 3 seasons. The whole You team is excited to explore new, dark facets of love in season 4.”
Halloween Kills Actor Anthony Michael Hall Discusses Playing A Legacy Horror Character
‘Halloween Kills’ is the next chapter in the rebooted franchise featuring Michael Myers, one of cinema’s most prolific horror villains. Armed with a sharp object, he haunts his family and their friends to slay anyone. This time, Myers is targeting survivors of his previous exploits.
One such character is Tommy Doyle, played by Anthony Michael Hall in ‘Halloween Kills.’ He is taking over the role from Brian Andrews, who portrayed Doyle in the original 1978 Halloween directed by John Carpenter.
Hall recently sat down with SyFy to discuss his take on the character and what it is like to join the Halloween franchise.
When asked how his version compares to other sequels to the franchise, he replied, “I did recently see the version that Paul Rudd did [in Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers], and that was obviously a different time frame. So it’s a different universe for the franchise.”
Hall said, “I think what’s brilliant about what [Director] David Gordon Green and Scott [Teems] and Danny McBride did with the film is they were able to spin it. So they take the original and they reintroduce these characters in the sequel, but also the bigger plan is the trilogy. So it’s all unfolding. So I thought not just for Tommy, but for all the characters, I thought it was brilliant how they created space with these other characters. And it extends to not just the locals that we knew from ’78, but [new characters, too].”
“David does really cool things. It’s almost Felliniesque kind of stuff, you know? Where you can work with non-actors just like he can work with comedic or dramatic actors or what have you. I found him to be brilliant. He was so cool and so loose, and then also very collaborative throughout the whole process. The best idea can come from anywhere. He also had that spirit, which was really impressive. That kind of humility from someone who was that established is great,” he continued.
When asked what it was like to see Myers in his “full regalia,” Hall answered, “I don’t think I’m talking out of school here, I don’t want to break any confidentiality agreements I had, but basically he’s referred to as The Shape, which I think everybody knew, but I didn’t know that going in. So it wasn’t ever like ‘Myers’ on the call sheet. It was more of ‘The Shape.'”
‘Halloween Kills’ is set to be released on October 15, 2021 and will stream on Peacock. It is to be followed by ‘Halloween Ends’ which is planned for October 2022 release.
‘The Boys’ Deluxe Billy Butcher Figure Comes With Laser Baby!
One of the things that drew my attention to Amazon’s adaptation of The Boys was the laser baby shot in the trailer. Civies using super-powered babies as weapons? Yes, please! Now we can all relive that moment thanks to Sideshow and Star Ace Toys Ltd.
Karl Urban’s Billy Butcher is represented here as a 12″ tall figure, straight out of the first season of The Boys. Terrible fashion sense, terrible attitude, but terribly charismatic! The deluxe edition of the figure comes packed with laser vision baby, complete with light-up LED eyes!
The figure will cost $299 and should be here sometime between February and April 2022.
This 1/6th scale figure of Butcher features a body with over 30 points of articulation. The authentic head sculpt include the likeness of Karl Urban as Billy and feature detailed hand painting. He comes with all the tools of the trade that Billy uses; a sniper rifle, a cattle prod, a shovel, and a crowbar.
The deluxe version includes an extra smiling head sculpt, his cigarette with corresponding hand, an M4 carbine, and Laser Baby – with battery-operated light-up eyes.
Billy will come with the following features and accessories:
- Six (6) interchangeable hands including:
– One (1) pair of open hand
– One (1) pair of hands for holding the Sniper rifle
– One (1) left hand for holding Colt M4A1
– One (1) right hand for holding crowbar/cattle prod
– One (1) additional right hand for holding cigarette (Deluxe version Only)
Costume:
- One (1) shirt
- One (1) jacket
- One (1) pair of jeans
- One (1) pair of socks
- One (1) pair of boots
Accessories
- One (1) pair of sunglasses
- One (1) necklace
- One (1) watch
- One (1) electric cattle prod
- One (1) sniper rifle (Serbu BFG-50A)
- One (1) shovel
- One (1) crowbar
- One (1) figure stand
Additional Accessories for Deluxe version:
- One (1) head with smiling expression
- One (1) baby with light-up function
- One (1) cigarette
- One (1) automatic rifle (Colt M4A1)
Thinking back on The Boys, it is a pretty good adaptation, at least the first season. Unfortunately, the second season went a little too heavy with the current and now very dated political themes. While some of the changes were welcome from the comic, others felt tepid.
I was hoping we’d see “retired” and crippled superheroes used as PR props like Lamplighter. But, at least the show was self-aware enough to call out how companies capitalize on sexuality with little regard for the individual.
Thoughts on Billy Butcher and Amazon’s series? Is he a great anti-hero, or just a c*nt? Let us know in the comments section.
[Source: Sideshow]
